The Cowboy Code

by Christine Wenger

  Relief spread to all points of her body.

  Now Maggie knew why Joe hadn’t wanted her to interfere. If she’d jumped right in, Danny wouldn’t have made his own decision.

  And he made the right one.

  “Thank you, Joe,” she whispered. “I get it now.”

  “Hang on, you won’t like what I’m going to do next.” Leaping out of the trees he shined his flashlight on the three boys.

  “I’d appreciate it if you got off those horses and led them back to the line,” he said. “When the horses are tied up and groomed completely, and all the tack is cleaned and put away, then we’ll talk.”

  “Yes, sir,” came the response from the three boys.

  Danny made eye contact with Maggie. “I’m sorry, Aunt Maggie.”

  His shoulders were slumped, and he looked like the loneliest little boy on the planet. He seemed so different from the arrogant, unemotional boy that he’d been for so long.

  “We’ll talk later,” she said. “After you do what Joe said. You need to take care of your horse.”

  “Okay.”

  “Wait a moment, Dan.” Joe handed Maggie the flashlight. “There’s something wrong with Thunderbolt’s back leg. He’s limping.”

  Danny’s eyes grew wide. “Will he be okay?” The boy’s voice quivered, and he started petting the horse’s neck as Joe inspected Thunderbolt’s hoof. “I’m sorry, Joe. I’m really sorry,” he whispered.

  “He picked up a stone.” Joe pulled his knife from its sheath and dug it out.

  “You got lucky, Dan,” Joe said. “Real lucky. If anything had happened to that horse…”

  “I didn’t think—”

  “Go take care of Thunderbolt,” Joe said sharply.

  “Uh, Joe,” Maggie said. “Aren’t you forgetting Brandon Avery? He has one of the horses, and he’s in the dark.”

  “I didn’t forget him.” Joe whistled—short, long, short. Then he repeated the same. A couple of minutes later Brandon and his horse emerged from the woods. Brandon wore a confused expression on his face.

  “First thing in the morning, there will be a jury of your peers,” Joe said. “They’ll cast a vote as to whether you’ll be continuing on with Cowboy Quest.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Joe walked Maggie back to her tent. Due to her silence and her sporadic sighs, he could tell that she was mentally and emotionally exhausted.

  “Things will work out. I have faith in the process,” he said. “And I’m sure that all nine of you will come up with a fair punishment.”

  “Nine of us?” She swallowed hard. “You can’t be serious. You expect me to be impartial when it comes to Danny? You know what’s at stake, Joe.”

  “Matter of fact, I know you’ll be impartial, Maggie. You and the other participants will come up with a fair and equitable decision as to what I should do with the offenders.”

  “But—”

  He shrugged. “That’s how we do it in Cowboy Quest. Now get some sleep. You look exhausted.”

  Her eyes were mere slits and the worry lines that had faded on the cattle drive were back. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, convince her that things would work out, but he’d vowed before that he wouldn’t do that again.

  Damn, it was hard.

  She reached for his hand and held it. It was all he could do to stand still and not pull her toward him.

  “No matter what happens, I’d like to thank you—for everything. Even though he blew it, I know that Danny has begun to change by the way he stood up to Brandon,” she said, her eyes pooling with tears.

  He had to leave or he was going to kiss the worry from her brow, kiss every inch of her.

  “That’s good to hear,” he muttered. “Good night, Maggie.”

  She dropped his hand, and he felt a sense of relief…and disappointment.

  The morning dawned bright and sunny, which didn’t match Maggie’s mood.

  She didn’t have a chance to talk to Danny, as she was assigned to help Cookie with breakfast. Danny was assigned to feed and water the horses, so they didn’t see each other.

  This was fine with her. She had passed being worried about him and had gravitated toward anger instead.

  After breakfast, Joe stood. “I’d like each of the four boys that were involved to say whatever they’d like to say. Then the remaining nine participants will deliberate as to their consequences. Now, who would like to go first?”

  Maggie decided that she was going to take a back seat in deliberations. Even though she was included as a participant, she wasn’t impartial. She didn’t want Danny to be eliminated from the program.

  Jeff spoke first, then Rick. Neither had too much to say, but Maggie felt that they spoke from the heart when they said that they wanted another chance, and it was their decision, not anyone else’s, to run off. They both added that they’d do anything to stay.

  Then it was Brandon’s turn. “I think Cowboy Quest is a joke, and I want out. And if my dumb horse hadn’t turned around and gone back to camp, I’d be in Montana by now. I’d rather do my time than be stuck in this program with a bunch of wimps.”

  So much for Brandon’s statement.

  Then it was Danny’s turn. Maggie held her breath.

  “I am sorry for putting my horse, Thunderbolt, in danger by taking him out at night. I’d like to apologize to my Aunt Maggie, for many things. And to Joe. I think Cowboy Quest is pretty cool, and I didn’t realize how much I’d learned until last night.”

  Maggie let her breath out. Danny stood tall, looking older than his thirteen years. Maybe it was because he was acting like a man.

  Danny shifted on his feet. “I admit that I wanted to run from Cowboy Quest. I thought it was lame. But that was in the beginning, and I should have called off our plan—or my share in it. I’m not blaming anyone else but myself. I went along instead of backing out. And when Thunderbolt started limping—” Danny’s voice caught. “Well, it would have been my fault if something happened to him. Anyway, I’ll take whatever punishment, but I don’t want to leave Cowboy Quest. I believe in the Cowboy Code, and I’m going to try to live up to it. That’s all I got to say, I guess.”

  Joe stood. “I’d like the nine of you to discuss what kind of consequences should be given out. The rest of us will respect your decision as long as it’s fair…so be fair.”

  She made eye contact with Joe, and he gave her a half smile. Damn, she liked this guy, and she liked his program, too.

  “If Brandon doesn’t want to be in the program, I say let him go home. What a jerk,” said Kyle.

  Marty nodded. “The other three finally stood up to him. They came back.”

  Alex, one of the two kids who’d been caught fighting and ended up putting up every tent, spoke up. “I think Brandon should be sent home, and the other three should be given more work.”

  “What’s the crummiest job here?” Maggie asked.

  “Cleaning up horse crap…uh…excuse me Maggie,” said a boy named Sean, with “love” and “hate” scratched onto his knuckles with ink.

  “No need to excuse yourself, Sean. I agree wholeheartedly.” She smiled at him, and he smiled shyly back.

  The boys talked amongst themselves. They were taking their job seriously.

  “One at a time!” someone yelled.

  “What do you think, Maggie?” Cody asked. She remembered liking him when they were on cattle watch. He recited some poetry that he’d written about cattle.

  “I think that you all know that Danny is my nephew, and I don’t want to say much. I don’t want to influence the group.”

  “I liked what he said.”

  “Yeah. Rick and Jeff, too.”

  “But what do we do with them?”

  “Let them muck stalls forever. Then we don’t have to.”

  “Yeah!” There were high fives all around.

  “And send Brandon home.”

  “Yeah.” This time there we no high fives and no cheers.

  That was the verdic
t they delivered. Joe’s perfect record was now gone. One failure.

  The other three boys were relieved and nodded vigorously when told that they would clean up after the horses for the rest of their stay.

  And Maggie thought that Brandon didn’t look as haughty as he had before.

  “Are you okay with the verdict, Joe?” Maggie asked Joe when they were back on the trail.

  “I think that the system worked again,” he said. “Although I wouldn’t want to muck for the rest of the program, it’s a good punishment.”

  “Too bad about Brandon,” Maggie said.

  “I haven’t given up on him. After he gets a dose of placement, maybe I can negotiate an early release and get him back to Cowboy Quest. Brandon has the potential to be a leader, if he’d only turn himself around.”

  “He ruined your perfect record.”

  He nodded. “As much as I hate to have my record ruined, it’s only a statistic. I’m not going to win over every kid. Brandon is a young boy. And he reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age.”

  “And you’re going to take him under your wing, aren’t you? Just like Mr. Dixon did for you?”

  Joe smiled. “Looks like Danny’s doing well at the moment, and Brandon is faltering. So if you’ll excuse me, Maggie, I’m going to have a heart-to-heart discussion with Brandon as we ride. Then I’m going to talk to Jeff and Rick. Maybe you’d like to do the same with Danny.”

  She smiled. “I would, Joe. Thanks.”

  Lightly tapping her rope on her thigh to keep the cattle moving, she rode her horse to where Danny was doing the same. She remembered a time when she’d been scared to ride.

  She still couldn’t believe how much she liked riding Lady and being out in the fresh air—well, it’d be fresher without the cattle. And it had taken something as serious as Danny’s problems to bring her here.

  She hadn’t seen much of the world, and she decided that she’d like to see more of Wyoming and other parts west with Danny, if her schedule permitted. But when she got back, she’d have to see what her agent could find for her to do.

  She sighed. As much as she’d dreaded coming here, she dreaded going back to the same old grind—rehearsal, memorizing lines, songs and musical numbers and practicing until she could do them in her sleep. Then there were all the unresolved issues with Danny—they still had a lot of work to do on their relationship.

  Maggie felt a familiar ache between her shoulder blades. She just wanted more time away before she had to go back to the stage.

  She had some savings socked away, and maybe she and Danny could take an extended trip. School would be out in a month, and his classes here were going better than she ever dreamed possible. Maybe they could tack on another two weeks.

  Danny noticed her riding in his direction, and he gave her a weak smile. No doubt he was expecting a lecture from her.

  Boy, was he going to be surprised.

  She wasn’t going to lecture. Danny had already figured out what he’d done wrong.

  A light rain had started, and she hurriedly pulled her poncho from her saddlebag and slipped it on. She noticed the rest of the boys doing the same.

  “Good morning, Danny!”

  He looked at her warily. “Aunt Maggie…uh…hello.”

  “Sleep well?”

  “Yeah…well, no.”

  “Oh? Why not?”

  “I was thinking,” he said.

  “About…?”

  “About how I shouldn’t have tried to run away like that.”

  “Where were you going anyway?” she asked.

  “Canada.”

  “Canada? That’s a long way away on horseback,” she said.

  “We were going to hot-wire a car.”

  “But Danny, that would be another crime on your record! And what about Thunderbolt and the rest of the horses?”

  “I didn’t want to leave Thunderbolt alone.” He looked at her, meeting her eyes for the first time. “I didn’t want to leave any of the horses. I couldn’t do that. And I didn’t…don’t want to be placed at an institution.”

  A feeling of relief washed over her, and she relaxed in the saddle. “It’s good that you’re thinking of the horses, and being placed. Now take it one step further and think of me. How do you think I’d feel if something happened to you?”

  “I—I don’t know.”

  “I’d be devastated, Danny. You mean the world to me. I couldn’t stand it if you got hurt or…” She couldn’t finish the sentence.

  Tears started a slow trail down her cheeks, and she quickly brushed them away.

  “Are you crying?” Danny asked.

  She nodded.

  “About me?”

  “Yes, and it isn’t the first time, Danny.”

  “I’m sorry, Aunt Maggie. I really am. And I don’t want you to cry anymore.”

  She wished they were on land instead of on horseback, so she could hug him.

  “I love you, Danny.”

  “I love you, too.”

  She tried not to cry, she really did, but she couldn’t help herself. She’d waited to hear those three wonderful words since she took custody of Danny two years ago.

  “These are happy tears,” she assured him when he frowned. “Really.”

  Danny chuckled, then a shocked expression appeared on his face. “What’s that noise?” He slanted his head to the left, as if straining to hear. “Something’s wrong, Aunt Maggie.”

  Then she heard it, too. Thunder?

  “Stampede!” Joe yelled. “Everyone, get out of the way. Follow Ronnie and Quint! Head for the trees! Now!”

  Ronnie let out a whistle—short, long, short—and the horses turned to follow him and Quint. Eventually, all thirteen horses hurried up the hill. Maggie’s heart pounded just as loudly as the running of the herd.

  In the pouring rain, they all watched the action safely from their position.

  The rest of the cowboys gave chase. Maggie held her breath, watching how Joe galloped alongside the cattle. He gripped the horse with his knees, leaning forward, swinging his rope and slapping it against a rock-hard thigh.

  He was racing to the front of the herd, which consisted of approximately three hundred cattle and calves that they had picked up. More seemed to be joining in the fray, but that was probably her imagination.

  The remaining cowboys also raced to the front of the herd.

  “Wow!” said Danny. “I wish I could do that.”

  “Me, too,” Maggie agreed, surprising herself. “I mean, I wish I could ride like that.” Funny, less than a month ago even sitting on a horse was the furthest thing from her mind.

  As she watched Joe, she saw no distinction between rider and horse—they moved together as one. His strong thighs gripped the sides of the horse as he leaned forward, trying to get in front of the cattle. His black hair, tied back in a ponytail, blew in the wind.

  “Go, Joe!” yelled Ronnie.

  Quint took his hat off and waved it over his head. “C’mon, boss!”

  When Joe finally got to the head of the herd, he cut across.

  “What is he doing, trying to kill himself?” Maggie shouted over the noise.

  “He’s turning the leaders around,” Ronnie said.

  “Turning the leaders around…” Maggie repeated. “That’s interesting.”

  Suddenly Maggie had a brilliant idea as to how they might be able to turn Brandon around. And she couldn’t wait to share it with Joe.

  Joe blinked the rain from his eyes. He and the other cowboys had gotten the cattle turned, and now the herd was milling around, looking as docile and harmless as stuffed animals. But he knew they’d be jumpy all night and for a good portion of tomorrow.

  He knew what had spooked the cattle enough to stampede all right—everyone shaking out their plastic rain ponchos at once. It must have sounded like gunfire to the poor beasts.

  He saw Maggie and the kids on elevated ground with Ronnie, who gave him the thumbs-up sign. He said a silent prayer of th
anksgiving that everyone was okay.

  “Is everyone all right?” he asked.

  There was no response to the contrary.

  Maggie’s hair was pin-straight, the ends wet with rain, and she looked beautiful. She gave him a big smile and said, “That was some riding, Joe.”

  He chuckled. “Thanks.”

  “Yeah, Joe. Way cool,” said Danny.

  Everyone else was in agreement. Clint and Ronnie each gave him a half smile, raised their eyebrows and excused themselves to work the cattle. Joe couldn’t help but laugh at the mocking expressions on their faces. Any of the cowboys could have turned the herd.

  But Joe relished Maggie’s look the most, a combination of admiration and awe. He could almost believe that he was a hero in her eyes, but she was probably just overwhelmed after experiencing her first stampede.

  “What about you, Joe, are you okay?” she asked. “You were the one in harm’s way.”

  “I’m doing great, Maggie.” He was high on adrenaline. When he crashed, he was going to have a wicked headache. “How about you?”

  “Oh, we’re all fine. It was a little scary, but Ronnie and Quint got us all out of the way, just as you ordered.”

  “Good.” All their training, for just such a problem, had worked.

  Looking up at the sky, he noticed that the sun was peeking out of the clouds. It’d be a nice day tomorrow—finally.

  “Let’s pitch camp here. I’m going to double up on watch tonight. I’ll give you your assignments after you take care of your horses. And tonight I want some nice, quiet singing to keep the cattle calm. They’re going to be jumpy after the stampede. I don’t care what you sing as long as it’s quiet.”

  Maggie raised her hand. “Joe, can I speak to you for a moment?”

  “Sure.”

  She got down off Lady and walked toward him, holding the horse’s reins. She didn’t speak, but seemed to be waiting for everyone to make their way toward the chuck wagon and the herd. Ronnie had already strung a rope between two trees for the remuda.

  She spoke after the last rider was out of hearing distance. “I have a favor to ask you.”

  “Fire away.”

  “Would you assign me night watch with Brandon? And Danny, too.”